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LET’S PLAY LE BAL

Founder of Payal New York, jewellery designer Payal Mehta, after last year's success is all set to create jewellery pieces for the annual fashion event - le Bal des Débutantes in Paris this year. We ask her about her inspirations and aspirations in the mesmerising world of jewels.

LOfficiel India: After the culinary world and interior designing, what inspired you to pursue jewellery designing?

Payal: Though my mother was a bespoke jewellery designer for few years and my husband is in diamond business, my inspiration to make jewellery came from within. My background in mathematics and physics had invoked in me a keen sense towards detail and mechanics. While I did my interior architecture course in New York, I decided to go into designing as well. And I thought, there wasn’t a better medium than jewellery. My inspiration in many ways come from creating someone’s dreams and aspirations into something they can hold on to for a long time. I’m lucky to be able to do what I do.

What is the genesis of Payal New York?

Interior designing was always my dream. While I was at the interior design school, one of the projects was to create a store of something that I was passionate about. So I designed a concept jewellery store for six months at school. It just felt right. And that’s how I started. When I finished the diploma, I realised that jewellery is where my heart is. In 2009, my fascination with precious metals and hours of sketching on the dining table lead to the creation of Payal New York.

How was your experience at le Bal des Débutantes in Paris last year. What can we expect this year?

It was absolutely flattering and a huge honour to be the first woman to create jewellery for Le Bal des débutantes last year. Le Bal is for outstanding young women and a small group of very selective families, which fit my forte for customisation perfectly. Hence, it was a great experience to work with them and create pieces for such enthusiastic, educated, independent and elite girls. I am always reminded by the wonderful le Bal team, how my jewellery highlighted each of the debutant’s experience at the ball. And I am exceptionally thrilled to go back. It’s going to be a different experience with new a set of young and delightful women.

Tell us more about your latest collections? While every collection you design is expected to be entirely different from the previous one, how do you manage to keep your signature alive, each time?

If you put my pieces together, you will see a trend in all of them. The energy from the universe is what feeds my design ethos and my main inspirations are always nature and global living with a focus on being practical. My idea is to create unique pieces of art, which are contemporary and edgy, focused on the tiny details of design and each of which tells a story, has personality, and makes a statement.

Which is your adored collection and why?

It’s so hard to answer that. I only design collections that I am in love with. I make many sketches that do not come to life, but as I draw I begin to see which designs will come to fruition and be worn, so it’s safe to say they’re all my favourites!